Searching for Occupational Therapist Schools near Madera, CA? Let us help you find the perfect OTA school for you!

After youstart your search for Occupational therapy Assistant schools in Madera, CA, you willsoonrealize that there has never been a better time for you togo after a career as an Occupational Therapy Assistant. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statisticsexpects jobs in thisindustry to grow by 43% over the ten year period 2010-2020, this equates to over 12,000 new Occupational Therapy Assistant jobs! The even better news is the fact that the averageOccupational Therapy Assistant wageis over $53,000 annuallywhich makes itright there with the best paying medicaloccupations that does not require a Four Year Degree.

Occupational Therapy Schools in Madera, CA

The initial steptowards a career as an OTA is selecting the rightOccupational Therapy Program. There are currentlyapproximately200 accredited occupational therapy schools in the United States and Puerto Rico and most of the schools accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) offer Occupational Therapist Assistant degrees and Master’s Degrees, with many also offering Doctoral degrees. Before youjump in topick a school, be sure that youevaluate all of your alternativesto makecertainyou find an Occupational Therapy training program that fulfills all your preferences.

Details YouMust ConsiderWhen Selecting an Occupational Therapy School

Accreditation

Accreditation by the ACOTE is recommended because you will bereassuredyou willlearn about the full range ofcompetenciesneeded to bea competent OTA.

Curriculum

Occupational Therapy Assistants assist patients on numerous types ofconditions and disorders so it isimportant that your training is very extensiverather then too concentrated ona particulardiscipline.

Clinical Training

Another very importantfactoryou must consider is the clinical learning experience. This is yourhands-on training, and thisis whereyou are able to interact with real patients and put your abilities to use. Some schools applysignificantly more time on your actual laboratoryexperience when compared toothers. In instances where your school is not devotinga considerable amount of time with clinical training, make sure that youask why.

Class Size

Something else to think about is the class sizes. The size of the classescan vary greatly from school to school. Make sure to find out the class sizes at all the schools you are considering. Keep in mind, the smaller the classes , the more one-on-one timethat you receive with theteachers.

Online Classes

Taking Occupational Therapy Classes Online might not work for each individual student. Nevertheless, for many people online training courses can easea few of the burdens of being a full time student. Job and householdtend to bepushed aside as students pursue their schooling and online classes may offera little flexibility to a busy life.

Graduation Rate

The finalthingthat you have tohave a look atbefore choosing an Occupational Therapy School is the graduation rate of the training programsyou are evaluating. Be sure to find out how many traineesgraduate from the program, what their comments were, and how many of them have gone tobecome Occupational Therapists.

Programs:

Building on Purdue's mission to provide greater access to affordable, world-class education, Purdue University Globaldelivers a fully personalized online experience that's tailored to working adults. By opening the doors to adults who need flexibility to fit learning into their busy lives, we make it possible to achieve a high-quality education from a prestigious university system—completely online.

Programs:

Back to School Scholarship Available to All New Students Until October 22nd.

Since 1996, Southern California Health Institute has been dedicated and committed to helping students achieve their dreams by providing an exceptional education that enables them to become skilled and successful manual therapists. We have graduated over 1,500 students who are now a part of a larger community of wellness and healthcare.

Programs:

Northcentral University was founded in 1996 to provide working professionals around the world with unprecedented access to richly engaging, professionally relevant, and academically-rigorous education from a U.S. university.

As a regionally accredited, private, online and graduate-focused university, NCU offers doctoral, master’s and bachelor’s degrees in business, technology management, education, and psychology, as well as doctoral and master’s degrees in marriage and family therapy.

Programs:

Health Psychology - PhD of Psychology

Health Psychology - MA in Psychology

Health Psychology - C.A.G.S. in Psychology

And more...

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What to Expect in OTA School

Typically the course work is abouttwo years, with the first year consisting of predominantlyclassroomteaching and with the second year spent carrying out hands on instruction in a healthcare facility or private careoffice. Some of the course work a student will want to take includes pediatrics, gerontology, health carejargon, and physical therapy. All States that require licensure simply wanta two year degree. A Bachelor’s Degree is going to beneededif you intend on becoming a full Occupational Therapist, however you will find that most Occupational Therapist began their careers as Assistants and achieved their Bachelor’s Degrees a couple of years later.

Licensing Information

Following graduation, those wanting toget started on their careers must become licensed as an OTA. Each State has its own rules and specificationsthat are governed by an occupational therapy board, with a few being private while others are run by the State exclusively. In California, licensing is controlled by the California Board of Occupational Therapy. Althougheach State is different, there are a number of requirements that are common among most of them and can include the following.

Any personseeking an occupational therapy assistant licensewill have to be a U.S. citizen, will need to have a social security number and is required to have taken and passedapplicable college course work in addition to having taken and passed the NBCOT exam.

Each State requires a federal background check , however convictions are not necessarilyimmediate grounds for dismissal. A few States may consider processing an occupational therapist license as long as a written affidavit is submitted to clarify the circumstances of the conviction. Additional circumstances including time frame and nature of the crime may be evaluated and be taken into consideration to approve licensure .

Every State will provide an Occupational Therapy Assistant licensing packagewhich willcontain several forms to fill out. Do notpay for these forms from a third party since they can be found online from many reputablesites. It is recommended to take a very comprehensive look through the paper work before attempting to complete them. It will have official transcripts needed; notarized signatures and many States will want you to turn in a fingerprint card that can be completed at a local police station.

Job Environment for Occupational Therapy Assistants

An OTA works with an assortment of patients who have needs that could bedifferentthan from the previous patient. You could beworking for an outpatient clinic with childrenthat have food or texture aversions or perhaps a hospital rehab facility working with a middle age woman with emotional struggles . Though an occupational therapy assistant possessesnumerous job skills, a couple of the basics including following direction, keeping up to date with the most up-to-date techniques and learning and applying the available technologyare extremely important. Finally, a COTA also needs to be relatively physically fit, asthere will be several instances of moving patients around, such as from a bed to a wheel chair.

If this looks like the career for you, then take a few minutes and visit the search form at the top of this page. You will be shown a list of schools near Madera, CA that offer Occupational Therapy Assistant classes. Request information from as many schools as you’d like, and good luck in your future career!

Occupational Therapy Schools in Madera, CA reviewed by Terry ROBINSON on June 11.

Very Helpful Site

Thank You for sharing such an informative website. I was able to get more info about the various schools in my area and chose one that worked for me. I’m now ready to start my classes and can’t wait to work as an OTA.